I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to gun rests for use by hunters and marksmen, and more particularly to gun rests which are adapted to rest upon the thigh while the hunter is sitting in a tree stand, or in a standing or kneeling position.
II. Description of Prior Art
In the field of hunting, the hunter is never assured of being able to make a comfortable and accurate shot at his quarry. Particularly in big game hunting, such as in the case of deer, antelope, and the like, the hunter is often presented with an opportunity to shoot when he is least capable of establishing a steady aim. If the hunter is fortunate enough to be near a tree, he will often lean against the tree and prop the forestock of his rifle between his hand and the tree. However, using this technique is impossible if no trees are nearby, or if the animal would be alerted to the hunter's presence while the hunter attempts to move closer to a nearby tree. Thus, there are times when the hunter must shoot from his present location without the aid of a tree.
Many prior devices have been developed to address this situation, as represented by the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,575,964 issued to Griffin; 4,676,021 issued to Groba; 5,018,294 issued to McGuffee; 5,345,706 issued to Brown; and 5,402,595 issued to Tamllos. Of the above patents, the Griffin patent appears to be most accommodating to the hunter, in terms of stability and speed. That device comprises a telescopic support assembly having a lower saddle member which roughly fits onto the hunter's thigh, as well as an upper saddle member that receives the forestock of a rifle or shotgun. A locking pin, which is carried on a cord attached to the device, is used to adjustably fix the position of the telescoping members so that the shooting height is most comfortable for the hunter. The cord for the locking pin also serves as a carrying strap when the gun rest is not in use.
Despite its advantages, there are a number of deficiencies with the Griffin gun rest that prevent it from becoming a more useful device. For example, the device is ill-suited to situations where the rifle must be aimed in a direction which is not substantially parallel to the hunter's thigh, because the locking pin necessarily prevents rotation of one telescoping member within the other. While the locking pin may be removed to allow such rotation, the hunter must sacrifice the ability to lock the upper saddle member to a height that is comfortable and appropriate for the particular shot. Also, the Griffin device lacks a means of securing the thigh portion to the hunter's leg, which would assist in making a steady shot. Furthermore, the telescoping support assembly is fixed with respect to the thigh support, whereas a pivotal connection would enable several important benefits which will be explained below.
Therefore, a versatile and easy-to-use gun rest is needed for situations where the hunter has no natural structures with which to assist in the aiming of his firearm. Such a gun rest must allow the hunter to quickly and noiselessly position the gun rest under the firearm, while being adjustable in both the height and in the horizontal rotation plane. The gun rest should also be highly portable and allow the vertical support to lockably pivot relative to the thigh support so as to enable the gun rest to be worn even when not in use. From a reading of the following description, it will become apparent that the present invention meets all of these criteria.